Article of footwear



May 3, 1938. v. L. MOORE 2,116,445

ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR Filed Dec. 18, 1937 INYENTOR y/da L Moore PatentedMay 3, 1938 ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR Vida L. Moore, New York, N. Y.

Application December 18, 1937, Serial No. 180,518

r In Great Britain April 29, 1937 3 Claims.

This invention relates to articles of foot wear, such as boots, shoesand sandals.

Many of the articles of foot wear now available have bad effects on thewearers feet due to the particular last upon which the shoes are built,or to faulty design, and also due to defects in the wearers feet, suchas displaced bones, joints or muscles.

Furthermore, the modern tendency for outdoor sports such as golf, tendsto cause various foot troubles due to the strain placed upon themuscles, ligaments and joints of the feet and ankles. Also, as is wellknown, the high heels used in womens shoes tend to strain the musclesand joints of the feet.

More specifically, one of the most serious defects is due to thedisplacement of the metatarsal and cuneiform bones of the foot causingwhat is generally known as fallen arch. This may be due to variousreasons, including those given above and in order to overcome thistrouble the cuneiform and metatarsal bones must be raised and retainedin raised position, especially at those times when the wearer of thefoot wear is exercising strenuously, or the weight of the wearer isborne on the foot. In some cases it is necessary for the wearer toconstantly use means for supporting and raising the arch or cuneiformand metatarsal bones.

As is well known, if the cuneiform and metatarsal bones which form theconnection and arch between the heel and the toes are raised andsupported the strain on the foot and the consequential metatarsaldisplacement will be avoided and defects in the foot will be compensatedfor.

Various devices have been proposed for accomplishing the desired purposeof raising and supporting the cuneiform bones, such for instance, asarch supporters which are inserted in the shoe or boot and are of rigidmaterial and so shaped as to force the cuneiform bones upwardly andretain them in this position. However, such devices have certaindistinct disadvantages. For instance, they tend to slip and chafe whenstrenuous exercise is undertaken and they are un- Such ad- Furthermore,in many cases the metatarsals which are replaced in their naturalpositions by raising the cuneiform, tend to become stronger during thecontinued use of the device and thus it is desirable that the pressureon the cuneiform be somewhat lessened with a view to ultimatelydispensing entirely with the support.

This invention has for one of its objects to provide an article of footwear having means constructed and arranged to support the cuneiform andto relieve the pressure on the metatarsals and to prevent displacementthereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide foot wear with adjustablemeans for supporting the cuneiform, so arranged that it can be adjust-edto meet the conditions encountered.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article of foot wearhaving means for supporting the metatarsal arch and cuneiform. soconstructed and arranged as to provide for pro- 20 gressive adjustmentto gradually correct defects and bring the cuneiform and metatarsalsback to. the correct position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article of foot wearwith means so designed and so secured in the foot wear as to exert anupward and rearward lift on the cuneiform, thus not only supporting thearch, but returning the deformed or displaced cuneiform and metatarsalbones to their correct positions.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the followingspecification taken in connection with the drawing which forms a part ofthis application, and in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoehaving connected thereto and embodied therein means constructed inaccordance with the invention for correcting and supporting thecuneiform and metatarsal bones of the foot;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the shoe illustrated in Fig. 1, Figs. 1 and2 showing an Oxford or low shoe;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation through the heel of the shoeshown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a high shoe having incorporated thereinmeans constructed in accordance with the invention for correcting andsupporting the cuneiform or metatarsal arch; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lifting and supporting strap.

The invention briefly described consists of an article of footwearhaving a strap or sling attached to the inside thereof over the heel andof the heel portion and is so shaped as to support the heel portion ofthe root without cutting into the heel and, as will be hereinafterdescribed, the sling or support exerts an upward and rearward pressure,thus afiecting a rolling action on the foot to bring the cuneiform bonesand the metatarsals connected thereto back to their normal or correctposition and to exert a rearward pull on the metatarsals which havefallen due to the incorrect adjustment of the cuneiform bones.

Further details of the invention will appear from the followingdescription.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and2, there is shown an Oxford or low shoe comprising a heel ID, a shankII, a sole i2 and an upper IS. The upper I3 is split or divided, asshown at ll, the divided portions being laced together by a lace II. Atongue I6 is disposed within the split portion II.

The foot correcting and supporting means consists of a strap, band orsling which has one end 21 secured above the heel and folded under theportion oi the insole 22 which extends over the heel l0. The strap 20then extends across the upper portion of the heel end of the insole, asshown at 2!, and then upwardly along the inner surface oi the outerportion of the counter, as shown at 24, and over the instep, as shown at25.

The outer rear portion of the upper is slotted, as shown at 26, and thefree end of the strap 2| extends through the slot, as shown in thedrawing. This end of the strap is adjustably secured to a strap 30 whichis fixed between the upper and the heel and is provided with a buckle llof any suitable construction. The end of the strap 20 is adjustablysecured by said buckle to the strap 30, this adjustment being determinedby the condition of the wearer's foot and the amount of correction andsupport desired.

From the showing in Fig. 1 it will be seen that the instep portion ofthe strap 20 is disposed inside of the tongue l6 and if desired thisportion of the strap may replace or be used instead of the usual tongue.

From the showing in the drawing it will be seen that the end 2| of thestrap is relatively narrow, but that the strap is broadened as itextends across the bottom of the shoe and upwardly along the innersurface of the counter and across the instep. This is desirable sincethe strap forms a sling or support for the foot and should be sumcientlybroad to form an adequate and comfortable support beneath the foot andalso to prevent the strap from cutting into the instep.

It should be particularly noted that the portion 23 of the strap isdisposed beneath the heel of the wearer and extends forwardly andupwardly and then over the instep and downwardly and rearwardly. Thisform of construction causes the support to exert a rearward pull on themetatarsals in addition to a lift on the arch and the cuneiform bonesand also an upward and outward rolling action on the cuneiform boneswhich returns them to their correct positions.

Since. as above described, the supporting and adjusting sling or strapis fixed at the point Ii shown in Fig. 3, the strap will be swungupwardly about the fixed end thereof which is disposed over the heelportion of the insole and at the outer edge thereof. a

In Fig. 4 the invention has been shown as applied to a man's high shoeand it is obvious that the invention is of general application and canbe used on any type or form of mans or woman's shoe desired. In otherwords, it is applicable to sport shoes, low or high heel shoes. sandals,or any other desired form of foot wear.

It will be obvious from the foregoing specification that the .use of thecorrecting and adjusting means described will effectively correct andplace in adjustment the bones of the foot, thus overcoming what isgenerally known as fallen arches and raising the cuneiform bones andlifting and pulling the metatarsals back into their correct position ofadjustment. Furthermore, this adjustment of the bones can be carried outprogressively until they have been re adjusted or replaced in theircorrect positions.

Although, in the form of the invention illustrated, the free end of thecorrecting and adjusting strap is shown as extending through the shoeupper and as being secured to a strap secured on the outer surface onthe outside of the shoe, it is obvious that other means may be providedfor securing the free end of the supporting and correcting strap. It isessential, however, that the inner end of the strap be secured at thebottom over the heel portion of the shoe at the outer edge of the heeland be carried across the heel above the inner surface of the innerportion of the counter and over the instep.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been particularlyshown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capableof modification and that changes in the construction and in thearrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in thefollowing claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a shoe having a heel, shank, sole and upper, means constructed andarranged to exert an upward and outward pull on the cuneiform bones andan upward and rearward pull on the metatarsals, said means consisting ofa strap or sling of a width effective to substantially embrace thecuneiform bones, having one end secured within the shoe rearwardly ofthe heel breast and extending across the shoe, forwardly and upwardly toa position to underlie the central area of the longitudinal arch of thefoot, and thence to extend over the instep, downwardly and rearwardly,and means for adjustably securing the free end thereof.

2. In a shoe having a heel, shank, sole and upper, means constructed andarranged to exert an upward and outward pull on the cuneiform bones andan upward and rearward pull on the metatarsals, said means consisting ofa strap or sling of a width effective to substantially embrace thecuneiform bones, having one end secured within the shoe rearwardly ofthe heel breast and extending across the shoe, forwardly and upwardly toa position to underlie the central area of the I longitudinal arch ofthe foot, and thence to extend over the instep, downwardly andrearwardly, and means for adjustably securing the free end thereof, saidstrap being tapered in width from the inner fixed end to the portionextending from the instep to the securing means, and being widestadjacent the side of the upper.

3. In a shoe having a heel, shank, sole and upper, means constructed andarranged to exert an upward and outward pull on the cuneiform bones andan upward and rearward pull on-the metatarsals, said means consisting ofa strap or sling of a width effective to substantially embrace thecuneiform bones, having one end secured within the shoe rearwardly ofthe heel breast and extending across the shoe, forwardly and upwardly toa position to underlie the central area of the longitudinal arch of thefoot, and thence to extend over the instep, downwardly and rearwardy,and means for adjustably securing the free end thereof, said strap beingtapered in width from the inner fixed end to the portion extending fromthe instep to the securing means, and being widest adjacent the side ofthe upper through an area spaced substantially above the sole of theshoe.

VIDA L. MOORE.

